Adams Light Up Night brings holiday joy
Holiday lights twinkled and visitors gathered around the fire at Adams Township's holiday Light Up Night on Friday evening.
The event, returning for a second year after its creation in 2020, included an illuminated trail around Adams Township Community Park, visits with Santa and carolers, with fireworks finishing out the night.
The celebration was free to the public. Outside the Municipal Center, township employees and volunteers collected nonperishable food and home item donations for the Lighthouse Foundation.
Expanded from last year
Russell Ford, chairman of the Adams Township Board of Supervisors, said the celebration was intended to be bigger than last year's event. Some components, like the drive-through Santa visit, have returned, but many of the light displays are brand new.
“We started buying lights again in January, but we've been buying them all year long just to build upon what we did last year,” said Ford. “We started this last year with COVID. We thought it would be a good idea, but we put it together in three weeks. We wanted to build upon it, make it bigger and better this year, and then take it to another level next year.”
The trail includes four colorful illuminated stars, which Ford said the township personally built.
“Our staff has been phenomenal,” Ford said. “The public works guys have just been great. Last year, we had some of the park decorated, but not nearly what we had this year. As we continue to keep growing and get more electric, we're going to be growing bigger and bigger.”
Parks and Recreation Director Haley Geyer said that the township began setting up the lights on trees in September and October.“When it gets cold, it's hard on the Public Works crew, so we were trying to be a little bit more proactive in putting them up,” she said. “We did a couple test runs to see where the blank spots were and added to those. We're planning to keep adding more and more next year.”The holiday lights in the Community Park will remain on display until Jan. 7, and will turn on at dusk each day.Choral performanceThe Mars Area High School Choir performed holiday carols around a crackling bonfire, while student volunteers from the National Honor Society handed out hot chocolate.Choir director Jennifer Kennedy said this performance was the first time the choir had been able to perform in public since the pandemic started.“This is the first time out in the community, so we're super-excited about that,” she said. “As a performing ensemble, we want to be out in the community. We have a servant's heart, and we want to be able to share our love of music with others, not just for ourselves. That's one of the things I like to instill in the kids, and we have been not able to do that (since) 2018-2019.”The choir also will perform at the Mars high school winter concert at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 16. The concert also will feature the high school band and orchestra.
